The Official Blog of TALES FROM THE EXPAT HAREM: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey

Monday, September 22, 2008

Multi Media Mania: Expat Harem Popping Up Everywhere

DOCUMENTARIESOfficial production on Istanbul-based VTR’s film about the making of Expat Haremwill begin in October, destined for the Istanbul European Culture Capital 2010celebrations. Designed as a 90-minute film in four 23-minute parts, it will be able to be shown both as a full length film and as a television series.

Expat Harem editor Anastasia Ashmanhas been consulting producers of the HistoryChannel’s production of Underground Cities, and with the help of Expat Harem writer Maureen Basedowrecommending local archaeologists and ancient historians as on-camera experts for the Istanbul shoot in October. Expat Harem writer Kathleen Hamilton will appear in the program leading the crew into some of her favorite subterranean spots.

For aChannel 4 (UK) production of a television travelogue based on Lord Byron’s transformative 19th century Grand Tour (with actor Rupert Everett following in his footsteps), Anastasia is helping the filmmakers find what’s “Byronic” about modern day Istanbul, and what expatriate high-life and low-life Everett might like to investigate when he hits the former Constantinople in October.

Anastasia is the subject of a profile in the October issue of Swissper, the state-of-the-art lifestyle magazine of Swissotel, a member of the Raffles Group of worldwide luxury hotels. She answers questions about her favorite Turkish landscapes, historical sites, pasttimes and cuisine. The magazine is distributed to 15,000 business executives, society figures and opinion leaders as well as Swissotel guests.